The present disclosure relates to a sealing element for a pressed connection. The sealing element includes an essentially ring-shaped body, made of an elastic material, on which ring-shaped body at least one surrounding continuous sealing edge is constructed on an interior side and on an exterior side.
From German Patent Document DE 297 21 760, a pressed connection between a fitting and a metal pipe end is known, in the case of which a receiving device for a sealing ring and a receiving device for a cutting ring are constructed on the fitting. When the fitting is pressed on, cutting teeth of the cutting ring dig into the material of the pipe end in order to provide an axial fixing of the pipe and prevent the pipe from being pulled out from the fitting. In contrast, the adjacently arranged sealing ring provides a durable sealing of the pressed connection even if different temperatures or other environmental influences stress the connection. In this case, the arrangement of a receiving device for a sealing ring and of a second receiving device for the cutting ring require relatively high expenditures for their manufacturing.
The present disclosure relates to a sealing element for a pressed connection which, while its construction is simple, ensures an effective sealing.
Thus, the present disclosure includes a sealing element having an essentially ring-shaped body made of an elastic material, and in which at least one cutting element is embedded. During a pressing-together, or pressed connection, the cutting element can be moved with a cutting edge of the cutting element out of the elastic material. As a result, during the pressing-together, which pressing together includes the sealing element, a sealing-off is achieved. The sealing-off includes surrounding sealing edges and an axial fixing because the cutting element can carry out a corresponding impression by the cutting edge. Thus, a moving of the pressed connection is avoided.
The cutting edge is arranged on an inner surface of the sealing element. Such sealing elements are used for pressed connections in the plumbing field, so that the cutting edge of the sealing element will then engage at an outer circumference of a pipe end. An relative axial movement between the pipe end and the surrounding fitting is thereby prevented, so that a sealing-off can be ensured.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, several cutting elements are provided which have a curved construction corresponding to a contour of the ring-shaped body. In this case, several cutting elements are arranged to be distributed along a circumference of the sealing element and form a gap between one another. As a result, the sealing element maintains its flexibility and elasticity and can be easily mounted. One reason is that the function of the cutting elements requires that a hard material, such as metal, be selected which cannot easily be elastically bent. If the cutting elements are arranged only in a segment-type manner, the sealing element can still be moved elastically.
The cutting elements extend in a radial direction from an inner surface to an outer surface. As a result, during the pressing-together, a cutting element can dig on the interior side as well as on the exterior side into a material of a pipe end or of a fitting, so that axial forces can be reduced by the cutting elements. Here, the cutting elements are constructed with a V-shaped cross-section and have a leg which extends diagonally with respect to the radial direction and reaches to a surface of the sealing element. The leg can thereby absorb compressive or tensile stress and take over the function of support.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a sealing ring is arranged adjacent to the cutting elements, which sealing ring is connected by a web with a section in which the cutting elements are embedded. The construction of the sealing ring which, when viewed in the axial direction, is separate from the cutting elements, and is configured such that the sealing edges cannot be damaged during the pressing-together. The round, circular cross-sectional shape of the sealing ring, in this case, provides an inner and outer surrounding sealing edge which is arranged depending on the contour of an outer or inner component. The connection with the remaining section of the sealing element by a web section may mean that only one component has to be mounted for the sealing-off and the holding function.
The sealing element of the present disclosure is generally used in a pressed connection in the plumbing field in which a connection piece of a fitting or of a valve is provided, and into which connection piece a pipe end is pushed. A receiving device is arranged on the connection piece, the receiving device including the sealing element. The connection piece and pipe end can be pressed together.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.